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Young: Spain the soccer kings of the world

For Spain, its first World Cup victory; for Nelson Mandela, an achievement for all of Africa.

Spain's jubilant captain Iker Casillas holds the World Cup trophy aloft after his team beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the final July 11, 2010. Andres Iniesta scored the winner in extra time. (DYLAN MARTINEZ / REUTERS)

By Chris YoungSports Columnist

Mon., July 12, 2010

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA—Seventy-five minutes before a global championship was decided, the international face that delivered this first World Cup in South Africa appeared to rapturous applause at Soccer City Stadium, not all that far from where he once called home in the township of Soweto.

For a few moments, as long as it took the golf cart to ferry him to midfield and back in what amounted to a drive-by wave, 91-year-old icon Nelson Mandela provided the final piece to a World Cup that was already historic but turned poignant and pointed.

Madiba was in the house — just a week ahead of birthday No. 92 — and all was finally in place for Spain to claim its first World Cup title three hours later with a 1-0 extra-time win over the Netherlands.

Andres Iniesta’s thrilling 116th-minute goal finished the job for the 2008 European champions. But it was the frail Mandela’s appearance, after he had been forced to cancel an opening-night showing one month ago due to the tragic death of his great-granddaughter Zenani, that brought the sellout Soccer City crowd of 84,000-plus to its feet in full throat and vuvuzela.

To be honest, the game itself wasn’t that kind of epochal affair, with referee Howard Webb of England handing out a record 14 yellow cards and one red card to Dutch defender Johnny Heitinga — the main advantage for Spain in setting the stage for Iniesta’s winner.

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But as the tournament’s infamous Jabulani ball struck the back of the net, this was all about coming full circle.

Spain began this tournament as the favourite, the pass-crazy Euros seeking to become the first side since then-West Germany 36 years ago to add a World Cup title to a trophy case holding its continental championship.

They had never finished higher than fourth at a World Cup and that came eons ago in 1950. They lost their opener to Switzerland, looking skittish in the process, then reeled off six straight wins on their way to the winner’s circle.

Then there was Mandela — six years removed from popping up in Zurich to charm FIFA’s besuited elite after a bitter defeat to Germany for the 2006 World Cup. Mandela secured this event for South Africa, and for Africa, 16 years after democracy was hatched here and two decades on from the historic moment he toured Cape Town to adoring crowds, free at last after 27 years in prison for being the face of resistance to the apartheid regime.

The world saluted them both with parties in Madrid and Barcelona, at Soccer City, and in outlying places such as Amsterdam, where the canals were full of boats and barges hoping in vain for Holland’s first title — even Toronto, where the World Cup is an occasion for a block party, one community at a time.

Credit Mandela and Iniesta, Spain’s 26-year-old creator, for providing the spark to this last final blowout, and occasionally blow-up party. Heitinga’s second yellow was surpassed only by Nigel De Jong’s studs-up hoof to the chest of Spain’s Xabi Alonso that somehow escaped Webb’s automatic thumbs-down, one of a number of nasty moments on the pitch.

The Barcelona midfielder Iniesta provided the escape from all that. Iniesta was freed in the box by a pass from sub Cesc Fabregas and he made no mistake after a night full of them, beating Maarten Stekelenburg with a low shot to the far post.

“It’s hard to put into words how it feels to win a World Cup,” Iniesta said afterward. “To win it, that was amazing. It didn’t come easy and I still can’t believe it.”

For this entire month, Spain scored eight goals in seven matches, six of them wins. No World Cup winner has lifted the trophy with skimpier production.

While South America appeared to be in the ascendancy, it was Europe and especially Spain that was there at the end — right where they were supposed to be.

They may infuriate with their theatrics. They may make you yell “Shoot, already!” when they finally appear in the box. (Moments before he finally ended the stalemate, Iniesta was right there and all that he needed was a side-footer, but instead he tried to put it on his left and frittered away a prime chance.)

They may operate with a certain insouciant swagger, their margin for error tight as the minutes tick on and still they’re out there, running and passing, running and passing, running and waiting for a goal they seem to know is coming from somewhere. Sure enough, it arrived.

Fabio Cannavaro, the beating defensive heart of that 2006-winning Italy side, brought out the World Cup trophy, giving it a final kiss before retiring to stand by and watch some idiot rush on and try to knock it off the pedestal.

Instead, he was tackled by an official and dragged down the tunnel.

It’s going to be hard to treat these Spanish with the same kind of disdain. Many of La Roja’s key parts are young and in their prime.

Chief organizer Danny Jordaan, looking on with a host of dignitaries and celebrities, which included former Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Charlize Theron, Rafael Nadal and Mandela’s portrayor Morgan Freeman, tried to put the event into a historical context.

“There is a legacy,” said Jordaan. “Just 20 years ago we were a society entrenched on a racial basis by law. Black and white could never sit together in stadiums, go to the same school or play in the same football team. ... There’s something this World Cup has brought: nation-building and social cohesion. People walked tall. They were very proud of this country.

“So that was a psychological barrier the nation has crossed. The world is saying this may be the best ever World Cup — and this was an African World Cup.”

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